Interests and activities may indeed change, but a big factor in whether or not they do depends on the type of interests and activities one currently has. Hobbies that foster creativity or aren't ego driven will likely remain. Creative hobbies rely on being present, open and available so they are quite satisfying. Or, one's attitude about certain things might shift. For example, competitive sports where winning matters may shift to enjoyment regardless of victory or defeat, the simple pleasure of physical movement taking precedence over the end goal of winning. In my life, the desire to go out at night completely dropped away. I'd much rather spend time with the "good company" I find in my own presence than be around a bunch of people who are inwardly lost and putting on aires in order to "get something" to satisfy their egos. I can be quite happy doing absolutely nothing until being naturally prompted to engage in some activity.

"Miss Kelly, perhaps you'd like this flower. I seem to have misplaced my buttonhole ... Miss Kelly, you know, when you wear my flower you make it look beautiful." Elwood P. Dowd
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A funny term, this word enlightenment, when in fact all it describes is progress on the evolutionary pathway of life which every human being is constantly taking part in - for a long time without being aware of it. When one finally grasps that this is the case, would you call that 'enlightenment'?

So long as this you fail to see:
That death precedes re-birth!
A gloomy guest you’ll always be,
Upon this darkling Earth.

The way I see it is that a truly enlightened person is unlikely to bother with claiming that mantle. Enlightenment is the result of increasing clarity of being and all that entails. But that is not a static state. No matter the degree of recognition, there is still more to be perceived. So on one hand enlightenment is relative to a previously, less perceptive, or less clear state; and on the other is the recognition that the journey continues from wherever one finds him/her self on the path of evolution.

Do things change? Sure, they can. But it is from one set of interests based on one's conscious state to another set based upon an expanded view of our reality and being. There may even be a renewed interest in our current engagements, but from a larger context. Life becomes ever more interesting as clarity grows.

Enlightenment for me is a journey that has seemed to start with my first awakening 8-9 years ago.

Since then, I have noticed I enjoy spending more time in nature and I also enjoy more the company of animals. I feel much more connected to Nature in all its forms. I feel more I am One with Nature, and while hiking in the mountains I feel at Home.

I have started practicing yoga and mountaineering, the latter which connects me more to the aliveness I feel outside in the hills, the rivers, the forests.

I enjoy more solitary hikes in the mountains because it is then in the Silence that I see the non-duality in all that is. I can then see the Nature around me as a manifestation of the One Consciousness.

~*~

Finally, I believe that while on the path to Awakening it is ultimately not the action itself that may change, but the *quality* of experience while doing the action. You become more thoughtful and the action itself becomes intermingled with space and silence. Every activity becomes action and no-action, activity and no-activity such that whatever you do there is a certain mindfulness, patience, care & love.

“Such certainty is beautiful, but uncertainty is more beautiful still”

. . . I believe that while on the path to Awakening it is ultimately not the action itself that may change, but the *quality* of experience while doing the action. You become more thoughtful and the action itself becomes intermingled with space and silence. Every activity becomes action and no-action, activity and no-activity such that whatever you do there is a certain mindfulness, patience, care & love.

That's the way I have always perceived the spiritual pathway, awakening, the road to or of enlightenment, call it what you like. Thank you for sharing your insights and impressions with us.

With love - Aquarius

So long as this you fail to see:
That death precedes re-birth!
A gloomy guest you’ll always be,
Upon this darkling Earth.

Finally, I believe that while on the path to Awakening it is ultimately not the action itself that may change, but the *quality* of experience while doing the action. You become more thoughtful and the action itself becomes intermingled with space and silence. Every activity becomes action and no-action, activity and no-activity such that whatever you do there is a certain mindfulness, patience, care & love.

Very clear and well said. I would only add '...and an active sense of appreciation'.

Do our hobbies and activities remain after Enlightenment ? What is your experience ?

In my case, some hobbies/activities remain and some of them disappeared. But the biggest difference I noticed is the way I engage and enjoy these hobbies/activities. Nowadays, I do what I want to do with more presence, attention and a strong sense of peace and calmness. Oh, and usually one thing at time.

The nature of my interests has changed a bit in recent years since I fully committed to this path, but in obvious ways. For instance, I'm an avid reader, but rather than read psychological thrillers which I used to love, I'm now more likely to read inspirational and other types of novels, ones that still may obviously be emotional and reflect life but don't purely seek to shock the reader. I don't watch much TV now and have completely gone off most shows on Netflix due to the violent content. I still like the odd crime thriller such as Vera (UK) but I avoid violence/shock and have subscribed to the Gaia channel for more spiritual content. I used to surf the net and read the news but I avoid most mainstream media apart from a small bulletin on Classic FM radio station. I don't spend any time on social media anymore.

I've loved writing and journaling all my life and like self-enquiry, writing and analysing my dreams and keeping a gratitude diary. As a child and before my awakening experiences, I still wrote a lot but it was more to emotionally offload and ease my loneliness. Dream work has been part of my life since 2001, so I have years of dreams to look back on.

I've always loved nature and animals, but now spend much more time with both. I love cooking, but as I wrote on another part of the forum, I'm focussing on eating more consciously and not eating to much sugar and deserts. Meditation and being active within my limits such as walking and gentle swimming, are now massive interests too.

I'm an introvert so going out pubbing/clubbing hasn't been an interest of mine for years, but have to say I'm less inclined to go out with socialise for the sake of it unless it's to meet with likeminded people. I like going for a drink with people I know from my local meditation support group or a very good friend who has spiritual interests albeit she's on a different path to me.